Will schools close in the heatwave? Sweltering 40C heat set to hit London

The heatwave will begin on Monday with temperatures of around 28C before climbing into the thirties on Tuesday and Wednesday. The mercury could hit 40C on Wednesday with the Met Office issuing a rare red extreme heat warning.

Schools are set to remain open despite the rising temperatures.

There is no official temperature at which schools are declared unsafe to attend. But in France, more than 800 schools have closed ahead of the extreme heatwave. Will the UK follow suit?

It is unlikely that schools will close. Even though parents will be concerned about sweltering heats inside and outside the classroom, school authorities will take precautions to protect children and keep schools open.

The Department for Education says on its website: “During hot weather, we don’t normally advise schools to close.

“This is because school attendance is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential, and hot weather can usually be managed safely.”

Adjustments will be made across schools to accommodate for the blistering heat. For example, some schools will relax school uniforms to allow children to wear looser clothes, and others will put a pause on strenuous outdoor activities, including PE lessons.

Schools are asking pupils to bring in water bottles, sun creams, hats and sunglasses to help protect them from the weather.

Teachers and caregivers alike should keep an eye out for early signs of heatstroke or stress, which can quickly become serious.

That includes unusual irritability, headaches and dizziness early on, and can result in fainting or delirium.

It’s imperative to keep children cool in hot weather, especially as they can be susceptible to heat stroke.

The best way is to keep kids hydrated by giving them plenty of water, ensuring they have a refillable water bottle and reminding them to keep drinking.

But remember, there is water in food too. Lollies, watermelon, cucumbers, jelly and salad are all good ways of getting some water into your children.

Parents should also teach children to reapply sun cream when at school or away from home. Sun creams should be at least SPF 30 and need to be regularly applied, especially to ears and necks which often get burned.

While it’s tempting for children to want to play in the sun, the best advice is to keep children inside and out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its peak.

You should also dress your children in loose and light clothes. There’s a host of UV protective clothing available online for children who are particularly vulnerable or intend on swimming.

And don’t forget sunhats, especially for small heads! When in doubt, refer back to the popular Australian health slogan “slip, slop, slap.”

Slip on a sun-protective shirt, slop on SPF and slap on a hat to protect your face. There’s also two additional rules including seeking shade and sliding on some sunnies for your eyes.

Heat stroke can be very dangerous and happens when the body can no longer cool itself down.

It happens as a result of exposure to hot weather, not just the sun, and can put pressure on the brain, kidneys, heart, liver and lungs – making it very dangerous.

Symptoms include fainting, seizures, confusion or skin that’s cold to the touch, even with a high body temperature.

If your child is displaying these symptoms, you must phone 999 or go to A&E.

Heatstroke is different from heat exhaustion. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include feeling weak, faint or feeling sick. It can usually be managed with first aid.

It’s a similar story for adults heading to work too, with there not being a legal temperature where it’s too hot to work.

General guidance states that there should be a minimum temperature of 16C, or 13C for strenuous work.

“During working hours, the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be reasonable,” reads the official advice from the government.

That also means that employers must keep temperatures at a comfortable level and the air clean and fresh, or offer means for employees to do so themselves.